U.S. stock markets ended the week strong on Friday, driven by growing investor excitement around artificial intelligence (AI) and preparations for December’s “triple witching” event — when stock options, index futures, and index options all expire at the same time.

By midday in New York, the Nasdaq-100 was leading the charge higher, fueled by a rebound in big-name tech stocks and semiconductor companies after a rollercoaster week. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones also climbed steadily, while small-cap stocks kept pace with the broader rally.

The technology sector was the top performer. Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) stood out with a surge of over 6%, building on Thursday’s 10% jump following a stellar earnings report. Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) also had a strong day, rising 3.6% — its best daily gain in over a month.

Earnings reports played a big role in individual stock moves. Carnival Cruise Lines (NYSE: CCL) jumped 8% after beating Wall Street expectations with strong quarterly earnings, record revenue guidance for 2025, and a reinstated dividend — all signaling continued strength in travel demand.

On the flip side, Nike (NYSE: NKE) dropped more than 10%, even though it reported profits above estimates. Investors focused instead on shrinking profit margins, slowing sales trends, and continued challenges in China.

Commodities also had a solid day:

– Silver soared past $67 per ounce, up 127% so far this year.
– Gold hovered near all-time highs, trading close to $4,350 an ounce.
– Crude oil rose for the third straight session after dipping to nearly five-year lows earlier this week.
– West Texas Intermediate crude traded near $56.50 per barrel, up about 1%.

In currency markets, the U.S. dollar strengthened significantly — up around 1.3% against the Japanese yen. This came despite Japan’s central bank raising interest rates to 0.75%, their highest level in three decades.

Crypto-related stocks moved higher as cryptocurrencies rallied. MicroStrategy (NASDAQ: MSTR), known for its Bitcoin holdings, gained over 4%. Bitcoin itself traded above $87,000, while Ethereum and Solana also saw strong gains.

Here’s how major ETFs performed on Friday:

– Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (NYSE: VOO) rose 0.9% to $627.65.
– SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF (NYSE: DIA) gained 0.6%, hitting $482.21.
– Invesco QQQ Trust (NASDAQ: QQQ), which tracks tech-heavy Nasdaq stocks, climbed 1.28% to $616.92.
– iShares Russell 2000 ETF (NYSE: IWM), tracking small-cap stocks, rose 1% to $251.19.
– Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLK) outperformed with a 2% gain.
– Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (NYSE: XLP) underperformed, slipping 0.4%.

Top Gainers in the Russell 1000 on Friday:

– BioMarin Pharmaceutical (BMRN): +18.6%
– AST SpaceMobile (ASTS): +11.8%
– Astera Labs (ALAB): +11.2%
– Rivian Automotive (RIVN): +10.4%
– Rocket Lab (RKLB): +15.9%

Top Losers:

– Lamb Weston Holdings (LW): -24.5%
– Nike (NKE): -10.3%
– Louisiana-Pacific Corp (LPX): -5.45%
– Howard Hughes Holdings (HHH): -5.08%
– KBR Inc (KBR): -4.25%

Crypto snapshot:

– Bitcoin (BTC): $87,100 (+1.92%)
– Ethereum (ETH): $2,948 (+4.30%)
– Solana (SOL): $123.96 (+3.71%)

Overall, Friday’s market activity reflected strong momentum in tech and AI-related sectors, supported by upbeat earnings and a rebound in commodities and crypto assets.